pine scented air filled her lungs. She had always loved the mountains and her father’s house sat at the foothills of the Zuni Mountain range near Gallup.
She walked slowly toward the front door and pushed it open, reminding herself that she was ‘home’. The fears and trepidation she felt at entering her childhood home left the moment she stepped inside and saw things exactly the way she remembered them. She smiled inwardly as she walked past the trophy case that contained the majority of her family’s athletic trophies. She ran a hand slowly across the glass and remembered how proudly her father would include each new addition. “I’m going to have to build a bigger case if you don’t slow down, Peanut.”
She remembered the pride she felt each and every time he’d brag on his children’s accomplishments. Their grades, their being accepted to this school or that. Their winning another swim meet or track meet or…
“Laura?”
She turned and felt relief to find her older brother standing in the hallway. “Derek, I didn’t know you were home.”
“I was just grabbing a change of clothes for dad.” He stepped closer and pulled her into an embrace. “It’s good to see you again.”
“You too, D.” She stepped back and stared at her older brother, the spitting image of her father in his younger years. “But what did you mean that you were getting some of his clothes? Isn’t he home?”
Derek dropped his eyes and shook his head. “I’m sorry sis. He’s taken a turn for the worse.”
“Where is he?”
“He’s in ICU. They only let a couple of us in at a time. And she stays in there with him all the time.”
Laura’s heart dropped. The reason she left things unfinished with her father for so long…and she was still here. “I had hoped she had moved on to greener pastures.”
Derek shook his head. “I dunno, Laura. I always thought she was a gold digger, but Crystal has stuck with him through all of this.”
Laura shuddered at the sound of the woman’s name. She turned away from her brother and tried to hide her emotions. She could still see the blonde headed hussy’s features when she closed her eyes. Barely a year older than she was, Laura believed that her father would snap out of whatever spell she had cast and come to his senses.
Derek laid a hand on his sister’s shoulder. “He waited nearly twelve years after mom passed. We couldn’t expect him to be alone forever, could we?”
“But why her?” Laura didn’t mean for her voice to crack when she spoke. “Why couldn’t he see her for what she was?”
Derek sighed heavily and wrapped an arm around her. “I don’t know. I honestly don’t. But she made him happy. We should try to take comfort in that.”
Laura glanced around at the house and shook her head. “And she’ll inherit all of this and the kids will be cut out completely.”
Derek shook his head. “No. They never married.” He pulled her around to face him. To his credit, he said nothing of the tears running down her cheeks. “She even offered to sign a pre-nup, but Dad wouldn’t have it.”
Laura gave him a wide eyed stare. “He didn’t marry her?”
Derek shook his head and gave her a tight lipped smile. “Nope. He said that if he couldn’t get his kids’ blessings, then it wouldn’t happen.” Laura didn’t realize her mouth had fallen open. “And he meant all of his kids.”
*****
“Twenty-seven? I have twenty-seven of you to work with?” Bigby shook his head as he marched between the newly arrived wolves. “That’s a far cry from an army.”
“Unlike the others you worked with, we all have military training.”
Bigby turned and gave a raised brow to the wolf trailing him. “Any of them special-ops?”
“Most of them, in fact.” The leader of the wolves paused and crossed his arms. “Trained by a legionnaire.”
Bigby shook his head. “Bloody French.” He shrugged. “Better than nothing I suppose.”
“I suppose
She walked slowly toward the front door and pushed it open, reminding herself that she was ‘home’. The fears and trepidation she felt at entering her childhood home left the moment she stepped inside and saw things exactly the way she remembered them. She smiled inwardly as she walked past the trophy case that contained the majority of her family’s athletic trophies. She ran a hand slowly across the glass and remembered how proudly her father would include each new addition. “I’m going to have to build a bigger case if you don’t slow down, Peanut.”
She remembered the pride she felt each and every time he’d brag on his children’s accomplishments. Their grades, their being accepted to this school or that. Their winning another swim meet or track meet or…
“Laura?”
She turned and felt relief to find her older brother standing in the hallway. “Derek, I didn’t know you were home.”
“I was just grabbing a change of clothes for dad.” He stepped closer and pulled her into an embrace. “It’s good to see you again.”
“You too, D.” She stepped back and stared at her older brother, the spitting image of her father in his younger years. “But what did you mean that you were getting some of his clothes? Isn’t he home?”
Derek dropped his eyes and shook his head. “I’m sorry sis. He’s taken a turn for the worse.”
“Where is he?”
“He’s in ICU. They only let a couple of us in at a time. And she stays in there with him all the time.”
Laura’s heart dropped. The reason she left things unfinished with her father for so long…and she was still here. “I had hoped she had moved on to greener pastures.”
Derek shook his head. “I dunno, Laura. I always thought she was a gold digger, but Crystal has stuck with him through all of this.”
Laura shuddered at the sound of the woman’s name. She turned away from her brother and tried to hide her emotions. She could still see the blonde headed hussy’s features when she closed her eyes. Barely a year older than she was, Laura believed that her father would snap out of whatever spell she had cast and come to his senses.
Derek laid a hand on his sister’s shoulder. “He waited nearly twelve years after mom passed. We couldn’t expect him to be alone forever, could we?”
“But why her?” Laura didn’t mean for her voice to crack when she spoke. “Why couldn’t he see her for what she was?”
Derek sighed heavily and wrapped an arm around her. “I don’t know. I honestly don’t. But she made him happy. We should try to take comfort in that.”
Laura glanced around at the house and shook her head. “And she’ll inherit all of this and the kids will be cut out completely.”
Derek shook his head. “No. They never married.” He pulled her around to face him. To his credit, he said nothing of the tears running down her cheeks. “She even offered to sign a pre-nup, but Dad wouldn’t have it.”
Laura gave him a wide eyed stare. “He didn’t marry her?”
Derek shook his head and gave her a tight lipped smile. “Nope. He said that if he couldn’t get his kids’ blessings, then it wouldn’t happen.” Laura didn’t realize her mouth had fallen open. “And he meant all of his kids.”
*****
“Twenty-seven? I have twenty-seven of you to work with?” Bigby shook his head as he marched between the newly arrived wolves. “That’s a far cry from an army.”
“Unlike the others you worked with, we all have military training.”
Bigby turned and gave a raised brow to the wolf trailing him. “Any of them special-ops?”
“Most of them, in fact.” The leader of the wolves paused and crossed his arms. “Trained by a legionnaire.”
Bigby shook his head. “Bloody French.” He shrugged. “Better than nothing I suppose.”
“I suppose
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